The present invention relates to an arm bearing for an articulated-arm awning having a pillow block, that is hinged on a bracket so as to tilt about a tilting axis and that is provided on one of its ends with at least one bearing eye for receiving one awning arm in rotary fashion, and having further a threaded rod for limiting the maximum tilting angle between the bracket and the pillow block, a first end of the threaded rod being adjustably screwed into a locating opening in the bracket and a second end of the threaded rod being provided with a head that rests against a stop on the pillow block in the maximally tilted position, and having finally a locking member by means of which the head of the threaded rod can be fixed on the stop in the maximally tilted angular position.
An arm bearing of this kind is known from German Utility Patent No. G 87 09 415 U1.
In the case of the known arm bearing, also known as tilting joint because of the pivoting connection between the pillow block and the bracket, the locking member consists of an angle element which has one of its ends connected to the rotatable end of the awning arm, while its other end projects freely. The arrangement is sized so that any rotation of the awning arm will cause the second leg of the angle element to be rotated over the head of the threaded rod whereby the latter is fixed on the stop of the pillow block. One thereby implements an upthrust protection which prevents the tilted pillow block from returning inadvertently into a non-tilted position. This might otherwise happen, for example, when the awning is fully extended and when a gust of wind hits against the awning fabric from below.
The design of the known arm bearing is comparatively simple. It does not, however, provide the possibility to decouple the fixed condition of the threaded rod from the rotary position of the awning arm if this should become necessary. It is for this reason that the known arm bearing as such cannot be used as a rigid arm bearing with adjustable tilting angle.
EP 0 397 906 A1 likewise discloses an arm bearing for an articulated-arm awning where the pillow block and the bracket are arranged to be pivoted about a tilting axis one relative to the other. The upthrust protection is again constituted by a locking member, configured in this case as a linearly movable locking slide. In view to the problem underlying that publication, that slide is independent of a stop, which may be additionally provided, and is easy to produce. An alternative use of that tilting-joint arm bearing as a rigid arm bearing with adjustable tilting angle is, however, not envisaged.
It is the object of the present invention to improve an arm bearing of the before-mentioned kind so that it can be used easily as either a tilting-joint arm bearing or a rigid arm bearing with adjustable tilting angle.